Three weeks ago, the rancher discovered more than 1,600 tires that had been tossed down an embankment on his property on Henry George Road.

A Hillsborough sheriff's deputy the night before arrested three men, including a neighbor of Moseley's, after they were spotted hurling the tires from a truck. Moseley welcomed the arrests, but that still left the four big tire piles to deal with.

He turned to the county but was told it couldn't step in because the tires were on private land, not a right-of-way. The state also balked, and a private hauler's estimate — $7,500 for 1,000 tires — proved too costly.

Enter Tires Plus Total Car Care, based in Clearwater.

Jeremy Persinger, vice president of sales and marketing, saw a news report about Moseley's plight and figured the tires could be recycled under a program by Bridgestone Americas, an affiliate of Tires Plus parent Bridgestone Retail Operations LLC.

"I live 10 minutes form Mr. Moseley's place, so this kind of story hits close to home," he said. "It was terrible."

So Persinger and a crew of nine Tires Plus employees showed up on Dec. 7 and, with Moseley, spent more than five hours removing the tires and packing them onto a semitrailer truck. About 400 tires that couldn't fit onto the truck were left on the side to the road to be picked up the following Tuesday. They went to Liberty Tire Recycling in Rockledge.

"What they did was huge," Moseley said. "I was impressed."

Wish Farms boosts organic production

Plant City-based Wish Farms, the state's largest strawberry grower and year-round blueberry supplier, is stepping up its organic production. Responding to consumer feedback, the grower said it expects to double organic blueberry production this year and boost output of organic strawberries by 20 percent.

Rave reviews for the Redskins float

The Antioch Redskins youth football and cheerleading squad float took first place at this year's Christmas parade. A trophy and a $100 check were presented to the team Tuesday at McCall Park in downtown Plant City. The float's theme: "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."